BEST IN THE WEST 
The Phoenix Suns take this title with their 25-4 record, not led by a star, but rather by a whole lineup of good players. The starting lineup of Bledsoe-Oladipo-Hayward-Ibaka-Gobert provided the perfect combination of shooting, explosiveness, defense, and rebounding for Ocho to utilize. The Suns ran their offense through Bledsoe’s speed and awareness coupled with Ibaka’s ability as a stretch 4. Through this, Ibaka averaged 10 PPG, ranking 16th amongst the league leaders and Bledsoes 3.6 APG ranked 11th. As a whole however, the Suns seemed to rely on good defense and efficient offense. This is supported by the fact that they allowed the least PAPG at 38.6 pts, 3 whole points less than the 2nd best defensive team. With this stellar defense, they only needed 45.8 PPG, ranking 15th in the league. This efficiency is also seen with their 4th overall FG% and 4th overall 3p%. Going deeper than the stats, it seems that the Suns are poised to make a run in the playoffs, but will meet tough competition due to the fact that 2 of their 4 losses have come from Western conference playoff teams.
 
BEAST OF THE EAST
The Milwaukee Bucks, owned by Drummondfan30 takes this title. After a rough start with a team that he didn’t draft, he made some significant trades to create a team to his liking. This included trading for Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin, a great PG/PF combo. These two guys both average about 11 PPG and are crucial to the success of this team. Along with these two, Wilson Chandler and Wes Johnson provide extraordinary outside shooting. Contrary to the Suns who value defense, the Bucks focus on scoring points, leading the league in PPG at 56, 5 points greater than the next closest- the Magic at 51.5. However, they allow the 4th most PAPG, so when you play the Bucks, be prepared for a shootout. The Bucks are also extremely efficient, but differ from the Suns in terms of where this efficiency comes from. They shoot the highest FT% in the league at 85%, and are 3rd in overall FG%. 3 of the Bucks 4 losses came from teams in the West, but they will still have a tough time in the East with contenders such as the Hornets, Hawks, and Magic.
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PLAYOFF DARK HORSES
Looking at the playoff seeding and matchups, there a few guys that could make a run if all of the pieces fall the right way. In the East, the Chicago Bulls, owned by Radiggy23 could give some of the higher seeds some issues. He plays a very defensive game led by Jimmy Butler, but still has guys who can score, such as Teague and Horford, along with spot-up shooter Dunleavy. They are currently 16th in PPG (45.8 PPG) , which will be the one stat that can hinder them from playoff success. If the Bulls can put up 48+ points a game in the playoffs, they will be able to make some noise. A deep sleeper in the East is also the Pistons, sitting at the 7thseed. I’m not sure if they can upset a top seed in the East but they can definitely make the Hawks sweat a little by a stealing a game or two with their great defense, allowing the 5th least PAPG and with good wins against Portland, Houston, and Chicago.
                             
In the West, watch out for the Portland Trail Blazers to turn some heads with how they play. Expect a 4 or 5 game series with Meaks and the Warriors. Led by Harden who sits at 14.9 PPG (1st in the league), the Blazers definitely have the roster to win some games. Rubio, Crowder, Ryan Anderson, and Jonas V are not too shabby off a supporting cast as well. They sit at 11th In PPG and 10th in PAPG. If they are able to distinguish one of these stat categories into elite-hood for the playoffs they definitely have a good shot at moving on. Lastly, although the Lakers are the 4th seed, watch out for them, as they could make a huge leap into the WCF or even the finals if the cards fall the right way. Led by new owner KobeRocks1, the Lakers show promise just as they did with Kobe in the prime. They jumped from out of the playoff picture to a top 4 seed in only a few days and has the 2nd best point differential in the West.
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PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS:
WEST
(1)   Phoenix Suns (Ocho) V. (8) San Antonio Spurs (Timi)
This series should be interesting. Ocho and Timi go back to 2k11/2k12 leagues, so with a decent amount of history, viewers should expect an extremely sim style game that should be tight the entire way. Their regular season meeting ended in favor of the Suns 54-48 with a late 4th quarter push to separate the teams. For a 1-8 matchup, this series should be much closer than people expect on paper and definitely won’t be a sweep. If the Spurs can put points on the board against the tough Suns D of at least 45+ a game they could have a chance at an upset. The problems will come down to the defensive ability of the players on the Spurs. I’m not sure how J. Murray and Booker will be able to matchup against the explosiveness of Oladipo and Hayward.
Predicted Result: 3-1 Suns. At the end of the day, the Suns are 25-4 for a reason, and with the all-around team they have, it would be extremely disappointing with a first round exit. I do think they lose Game 2 at home because of the fact that all 4 of their losses have come at home.
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(2)   OKC Thunder (Tim) V. (7) Houston Rockets (Tmachine)
This series is straight up weird. Tmachine took over this team halfway through the season when the prior owner already had about 18 games played, a weird situation that happens very rarely. However, since he’s joined he’s come with some big wins, topped off by a 3 point victory over the Suns. On the other hand, OKC started off slow with a roster that didn’t really fit Tim’s style, but after a few trades, namely with receiving defensive anchors Biyombo and Tony Allen. This really allows Tim to work the offense through Lillard and ZBO. At the end of the day, it’ll come down to how comfortable Tmachine feels with a team he’s only played about 10 games with. If Lowry can D up Lillard and Cousins can be the beast he should be, this will be a long and well played series.
Predicted Result: 3-2 Thunder. Too much fire power offensively from Lillard, Monta, and ZBo. Plus, I believe Allen could be used to shut down Lowry, and Bismack will at least be able limit Cousins points down low.
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(3)   GS Warriors (Meaks) V. (6) Portland Trail Blazers (SuperMario)
This series may be the one I’m most excited about in the West, mainly because we have Harden on one side, the league leader in scoring against Meaks, known for incredible defense and team basketball. The contrast in styles will definitely be seen in this one, but that should make it even more interesting to watch. Their point differentials are essentially the same at about 3.7, but the Warriors score and allow less points than the Blazers. So it’ll come down to who is able to dictate the game. Also, who will guard AD for the Blazers? I’m not sure Ryan Anderson or JV can get the job done, and the same goes for Harden on the other side.
Predicted Result: Warriors 3-1. Meaks has a way of pulling out close games. I think with this poise that he got from his regular season games, he’ll be able to pull out EVERY game by less than 5, and his one loss will be by more than 10. Bold prediction for ya.
 
(4)   LA Lakers (KobeRocks) V. SAC Kings (Ematt)
Not as much to say in here in terms of the Lakers, see Regular Season recap, in which I had them as a dark horse to make a huge run in the West. However, the only way that comes true is if they get past the savvy Kings. I never got a chance to play the Kings, but from what I see, they are relatively inconsistent. With crucial wins over OKC, and Portland, and losses to the Celtics, Spurs, and Grizzlies, they seem like a team that can easily get hot and cold. Matchup wise, this’ll be fun, with RW vs. CP3, and Faried/Lopez vs. Vucevic/Boban. Will be interesting to see which matchup leads to a W or L on either side.
 
Predicted Result: Lakers 3-2. Gotta stick with my dark horse to pull this one out. I think it'll come down to having the better roster. RW will be an all-around stud, JJ will dominate around the arc, and Faried/Lopez should be too beastly in the paint.
 
(1)   Phoenix Suns (Ocho) V. (4) LA Lakers (KobeRocks1)
A one point win happened when these two teams played during the regular season, but that was Kobe’s first game in the league. Looking at this game now, it may come down to strictly defense, with both guys ranking highly in defensive categories. I think no matter what way we break this series down; it’ll be a 5 game series. In the end however, The Suns matchup extremely well with the Lakers. Bledsoe should be able to limit RW, and Ibaka/Gobert will be right there with Faried/Lopez. Oladipo may be the key for the Suns though, as he HAS to take advantage of his matchup with Redick.
 
Predicted Result: Suns 3-2. This one could go either way, and if the cards fall right for the Lakers in the crunch time situations, the Lakers will be able to make their dark horse fantasy into a reality.
 
(2)   OKC Thunder (Tim) V. (3) GS Warriors (Meaks)
Two admins facing off against each other in the Conf semis should be interesting if it falls to fruition. The regular season matchup went in favor of the Thunder in an early season game, 40-32. Since then, both teams have gotten better in terms of roster structure and comfortability with their respective teams. If this was a 7 game series, this would go to 7 and each game would be under 5 points. Since it’s not, it’ll go to 5, and still come down to the wire each and every night.
 
Predicted Result: Warriors 3-2. I’m going with the slight upset here. They say defense wins championships, and I think the Warriors all around defense will be able to hinder Lillard JUST ENOUGH to get the W.
 
(1)    Phoenix Suns (Ocho) V. (3) GS Warriors (Meaks)
Another matchup of two admins. However, this seems to be worst case scenario for the Suns, as Meaks seems to have Ocho’s number when he’s in form. These two met in the first round last season as a 3/6 matchup, in which Ocho pulled out in a 2-0 (3rd game DCed) series. However, this came at a time where Meaks just got back from vacation. In this series, both guys are at the top of their game and this should be a competitive and low scoring affair. Bold prediction: Neither team touches 50 points the whole series, and I wouldn’t be surprised if multiple games were in the 30s with how they both play D.
 
Predicted Result: Warriors 3-2. In the end, I think it comes down to who wins Game 1. I don’t see either of them being able to win back to back games unless something crazy happens. I think the Warriors will pull it out based on their experience in crunch time.
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EAST
(1)   MIL Bucks (DrummondFan) V. (8) BKN Nets (Keem)
Expect a shootout here, with the Bucks averaging 56 PPG and the Nets averaging 49 PPG. I think this series has potential to be closer than it looks, but Keem hasn’t been able to play a lot of games recently due to personal reasons, and for that he’s already at a disadvantage. However, with dynamic players like Steph, Greek Freak, and Simmons you never know what could happen. The Nets would have to play a seemingly perfect series to pull this one out, however I just don’t see that happening.
 
Predicted Result: 3-0 Bucks. The 25-4 Bucks just have too much for the under .500 Nets. Would love to see Keem pull out a game or two to challenge them, but we’ll see.
 
(2)   ATL Hawks (WarReady) V. (7) DET Pistons (TrashXXCullen)
The Hawks seem to not get enough credit for what they’ve done this season. WarReady took up a team he didn’t draft and led them to a 21-3 season before the simming took place. The Hawks are no joke and are a legit threat in the East. Behind McCollum, Bosh, and Ingram they seem poised to make a run with a greatly balanced team. On the other side, the Pistons are also very underrated, and their defense may be what gives them a competitive shot in this one. The Melo/Aldridge duo is extremely dynamic and actually matches up well with the Hawks team. When these teams met in the regular season it was a 38-29 W for the Hawks. I expect a similar type of series.
 
Predicted Result: Hawks 3-1. Too much offensive fire power, and even though I expect the games to be close, the Hawks shouldn’t have too much trouble getting the W.
 
(3)   CHA Hornets (UrSuchAJerk) V. (6) CHI Bulls (Radiggy)
This should be one of the closer first round matchups in the East. The Hornets looked prime to be 1st in the East after their early season onslaught led by the draft day trade to acquire LBJ for Bledsoe and Hayward. Since then, they’ve focused on a drive and kick scheme that has been extremely successful. Really, it was moreso other teams playing well then them trailing off that resulted in them being the 3rd seed. On the other hand, the Bulls are serious, Radiggy is a very good sim player that can hang with the best. Led by Butler, Horford, and Teague the team is built very similar to the real life Bulls. With any other matchup, the Bulls would be my upset pick in the first round, but against the LBJ led Hornets, I don’t foresee an upset.
 
Predicted Result: Hornets 3-1. I believe the Bulls will pull out Game 3 at home when their backs are against the wall, but I’m not sure if they have the offensive firepower or matchup ability to outplay the LBJ + shooters squad.
 
(4)   Orlando Magic (Rahjeet) V. (5) MIA Heat (Dalton)
Very intriguing matchup especially with it being a 4/5. In their regular season game, Dalton won the game after struggling in the 1st quarter. Based on the fact that Rahjeet finished 26 games extremely quickly and hasn’t played in essentially a week and a half, the advantage goes to Dalton. Roster wise, it definitely favors Rahjeet, with KD at the helm. Both guys can play defense when needed and play in shootouts if the time presents itself, and in this case, I think first one to 50 will decide who wins each game.
 
Predicted Result: 3-1 Heat. This is a prediction based solely on what rust can do to someone in a competitive league like this. In a normal situation I would say it would be a 5 game series, but we’ll see. All depends on how quickly Rahjeet returns to form.
 
(1)   MIL Bucks (DrummondFan) V. (5) MIA Heat (Dalton)
Rematch of last season’s Eastern Semis, which resulted in a 3-0 sweep in favor of Drummond. This time should be much closer due to the change in rules from the past year. Drummond also finished his games extremely early, so he’s had a layover since his last 2k league game. His first round matchup should dispel him of his rust though. I expect this game to be thoroughly fun to watch on stream and will have to be high scoring. We may see 60 has being the number to reach, which really is unheard of in a series with 6 minute quarters.
 
Predicted Result: 3-1 Bucks, with one OT win. I think were gonna see an epic Game 1 or Game 2, in which the Bucks will be able to get a 2-0 lead based on a huge win in OT, the game may even touch the 70s.
 
(2)   ATL Hawks (WarReady) V. (3) CHA Hornets (UrSuchAJerk)
These 2/3 matchups on both sides of the NBA should be something serious. The contrast in teams here will be evident especially in terms of roster buildup. Lebron vs. McCollum/Ingram/Bosh. The choice for the Hornets will be whether to play LBJ at the SF or PF position. He’s played both essentially all season long, and being at the 4 would benefit on Offense, but I wonder how LBJ would fare guarding Bosh. At the end of the day, I’m not sure how the Hornets will be able guard all 3 of the Hawks main scoring options.
 
Predicted Result: Hawks 3-2. I’m hesitant on this prediction, because betting against LBJ is something you just don’t do. However, the Hawks are so balanced that LBJ may not be able to carry the team enough to take them to the ECF.
 
(1)   MIL Bucks (Drummondfan) V. (2) ATL Hawks (WarReady)
Based on roster construction, I’m not sure I would’ve expected these two teams to be here, but the balance is there nonetheless. Based on playstyle though, these two contrast a bit, but still both put up a lot of points. I doubt a lot of good defensive possessions will be played, but who cares? Shootouts are always fun. The question will come down to can Kemba/Blake outplay McCollum/Bosh? My bold prediction would be that whichever duo scores more points in each game will lead their team to victory. I just don’t see Wes J or John Jenkins putting up huge numbers for their respective sides.
 
Predicted Result: 3-2….. Bucks. Closest series to pick a winner because of how similar the buildups of the teams are. Gonna be another type of series where the Game 1 winner takes the cake.
 
FINALS:
(1)   MIL Bucks (DrummondFan) V. (3) GS Warriors (Meaks)
Ha, you guys probably thought I’d pick the one seeds from both conferences. This series will especially be interesting in terms of seeing great O Vs. great D. Not sure, how the #1 offense will matchup against the 3rd Best defense. If I had to guess anything, it would be that the games won’t be shootouts. I don’t see any games going higher than 50, just because Meaks will slow the game down and attempt to play good defense on the high flying Bucks. However, Meaks has faltered in games and his inconsistency has come out at times. Drummondfan is 25-4 for a reason, and that might be a huge foreshadow for how the series will go.
 
PREDICTED RESULTS:
Wish we could see this one played in 7, but from 5 I’ll have to go with 3-2 Bucks, with Drummondfan being the SECOND CHAMPION OF MLBA. Ultimately, I think Meaks may be worn out from the tough road to the finals and the defense may become lazy/wear off. Therefore, we could see a shift towards Drummondfan dictating the game and ultimately pulling this series out.  
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PLAYOFF RECAP:
After the fantastic Season 2 of MLBA, 2K decided to glitch halfway through the First Round of the playoffs. The results that were in were the 3-0 Sweep of (2)BucfanTB by (7)Tmachine, the 3-0 Sweep of (6)Radiggy23 by (3)UrSuchAJerk, the 3-0 sweep of (7)TrashXXCullen by (2)WarReadyAON, and a 3-2 win for (5)KobeRocks1 over (4)Ematt. During the glitch, series scores were (1)Ocho v. (8)Timi 1-1, (1)Drummondfan v. (8)Keem 2-0, (4)Rahjeet v. (5)Dalton 0-1, (3)Meaks v. (6)SuperMarioGear 2-1. These playoffs were looking to be highly contested, but alas 2k screws people yet again. Thus, S2 is relegated as "The Lost Season." Regular Season Champions will be co-crowned, albeit with an asterick by their names, congrats to the PHX Suns led by Ocho and the MIL Bucks led by Drummondfan!